Automatic door-check.



E. F. DEXTER.

AUTOMATIC DOOR CHECK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1911.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

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WITNESSES ERNEST F. DEXTER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC DOOR-CHECK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '11, 1913.

Application filed September 14, 1911. Serial No. 649,297.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ERNEST F. DEXTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Door-Checks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved brace or check which isadapted to be applied to a bulk head, door, or similar swinging closurefor the purpose of automatically retaining the same in an open position.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an automatic doorcheck which can be readily applied to any swinging closure, and whichwill operate in a positive and reliable manner to retain the same in anopen position without placing anyundue strain upon the hinges andwithoutinterfering with the opening and closing of the swinging closure in theusual manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic door checkwhich is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, whichcomprises few and durable parts which are not liable to get out ofrepair, and which may be easily and quickly placed in position orremoved therefrom, as may be desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is atransverse sectional view through a door having the device appliedthereto, the door bein shown in an open position. Fig. 2 is a similarview with the door in a closed position, portions being broken away.Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the automatic door check, the parts beingshown in the position assumed when the door is closed, and Fig. 4 is anenlarged sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, thenumeral 1 designates the casing or support to which the door or swingingclosure 2 is hinged. This door may swing in either a vertical orhorizontal plane, and the automatic door -check serves to hold the samein an open position so that it will not swing accidentally into a closedposition, although the door can be forcibly closed at any time when suchbecomes desirable.

In carrying out the invention, a base plate 3 is secured to the frame 1at a point adjacent to the hinged edge of the door, the said base platebeing held rigidly in position by suitable fastening members such as thescrews 4, and being provided at one of its longitudinal edges with anoutstanding flange 3 which is arranged at substantially right angles tothe axis of the door. A swinging arm 5 has one end thereof pivotallyconnected to the flange 3 at a point intermediate of the ends thereof bya suitable pivot member such as the bolt 6, the opposite end of the saidswinging arm being pivotally connected at 7 to one endof a; rod 8. Thisrod extends along the door when the same is in a closed position, theopposite end of the rod being pivotally connected at 9 to an outstandingear 10 upon a plate 11 which is suitably fastened to the door by screws12.

The arm 5 is adapted to swing either toward or away from the door uponthe bolt 6 as a pivot, the said arm assuming the position shown in Fig.1 when the door is. opened, and the position shown in Fig. 2 when thedoor is closed. In the former position, a longitudinal slot 13 isfrictionally engaged by an angular nose 14 at the upper end of a springstrip 15 which has the lower end thereof extended outwardly and securedto the base plate 3 in some suitable manner as by means of the screws16. The nose 14 is inclined in opposite directions so that the arm 5 canbe forcibly moved for the purpose of closing the door, although it isheld securely against accidental'displacement. When the door is opened,the arm 5 is swung from the position shown in Fig.

'2 to the position shown in Fig. 1, When the spring catch engages theslot or notch 13 and the door is held securely against accidentalclosing. The swinging of the arm 5 in opposite directions is limited bythe engagement thereof with the base plate 3, and the rod 8 forms abrace between the arm 5 and the door for holding the door againstobvious that when a sufficient amount of force is applied to the doorfor the purpose of closing the same, the arm 5 can be readily drawn outof engagement with the spring catch without the necessity of manuallyreleasing the spring catch or otherwise adjusting any of the parts. Whenthe arm 5 is swung inwardly and the door is closed, as indicated by Fig.'2, the rod 8 extends along the back of the door, and the line ofthrust passing through the pivot points at opposite ends of the rod isinclined outwardly away from the pivot bolt 6 of the arm so as to avoida dead center; In this connection, it will be observed that the pivotalconnection 7 between the rod and the arm is located at one side of thelongitudinal axis of the arm, so that the said pivot is spaced fartherfrom the surface of the door than the pivot bolt 6 is from the frame 1,the extremity of the rod 8 being bent laterally at 8 so as to throw therod inwardly toward the door when the latter is closed.

The door can be opened in the usual manner, the thrust upon the rod 8merely tending to swing the arm 5 away from the door until it reachesthe opposite limit of its movement. and again abuts against-the baseplate 3.. :The spring catch then engages the slot or recess 13 so astorhold the arm yieldingly in position, while'the rod 8 serves as abraceto hold the door against swinging movement. In this manner the doorcan be retained in an open position without the necessity of any postsor projections upon the floor or wall, and an excessive strain is neverplaced upon the hinges. The door can be forcibly moved into an open orclosed position in the usual manner, although there is no danger of asudden wind or the like accidentally closing the door at an inoppor tunetime.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a door check, the combination of a support, a swinging closure hingedto said support, a base plate secured to said support and formed with aflange projecting at right angles therefrom, an arm having one endthereof pivoted between the ends of said flange and being provided withan inclined recess intermediate the ends thereof, a rod connecting thefree end of said arm to said swinging closure, a spring catch mounted onsaid base plate and being provided with a beveled nose adapted to engagethe inclined recess of said arm to hold the swinging closure openagainst accidental closing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST F. DEXTER.v

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. C.

